James mobbison



(N0 J. MORRISON.

BANJO. v No. 264,893. Patented Sept. 26, 1882.

m A I WITNESSES:

INVEN TOR $46M fmaf WM ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MORRISON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,893, dated September 26, 1882.

Application filed March 29, 1882.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES MORRISON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Banjos, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to promote and increase the tone or resonance of banjos, giving them a full, clear, and distinct sound, and at the same time contributing materially to prolongate the same. This I accomplish by attaching to the wooden or inner ring or rim of the banjo a series of projections or pegs of any shape or form, made of steel, brass, glass, or any other kind of metal or material suitable for the purpose, as shown in the drawings. Upon these projections or pegs I place a hoop o ring of round, square, or oth or section, made of any kind of metal or material. This ring or hoop I attach to the wooden or inner ring or rim of the banjo by means of two screws or otherwise, on either side thereof, as shown in the drawings. The ring or hoop and projections or pegs may be either solid or hollow and of any height or thickness.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view of an ordinary banjo, showing my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a side view of my banjo. Fig. 3 represents a sectional view ofmy improved sounding-ring and one of the supporting pegs or projections.

A is the head or covering of the banjo.

B is my improved sounding or resonant ring.

0 is the inner or wooden rim of the banjo.

(No model.)

D are the pegs or projections sustaining the sounding or resonant ring of the banjo.

E is the outer or straining rim of the banjo.

F are the screws by which the sounding or resonant ring is attached to the wooden crinner rim.

Having now described my invention,whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a banjo, a steel or other metallic ring over which the head or covering-membrane is stretched,in combination with the pins or projections secured to the inner rim or body and means to stretch said membrane over the steel ring, substantially as described.

2. In a banjo, the combination of the inner rim or body, pins or projections, metal ring, membrane'or head, means to secure the ring down upon the pins, and means to stretch the membrane over the ring, substantially as described.

3. In a banjo, a metallic or resonant ring supported from the body of the instrument at several points in its periphery, in combination with the head or membrane and means to stretch the membrane over said ring, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JAMES MORRISON.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. SoNNEBoRN, WM. H. SoNNEBoRN. 

